For your safety, leave pyrotechnics to the pros
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By Deirdre Cox Baker | Friday, July 04, 2008 |
Joshua Tosolini, 10, examines fireworks at a retail fireworks stand, while his father makes a purchase. (AP Photo)
Dr. Paul Bolger has not only seen a man’s leg impaled by a bottle rocket, but he’s also been burned by fireworks set off by an intoxicated person.
Given that history and set of experiences, it’s no wonder the emergency room physician suggests parents keep sparklers and other fireworks away from children and that everyone watch the professionals handle the patriotic aerial fanfare this weekend.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, in Atlanta estimates that 9,000 Americans will head to emergency rooms because of fireworks injuries incurred from June 16 to July 16. Bolger, director of emergency medicine for Trinity Medical Center, suggests that number is probably low.
“Culturally, it’s the Fourth of July and we all want to use fireworks. Most of us did as children, but as a physician, I’ve seen the injuries. We want to protect the ones who will be hurt.”
Most injuries are to hands and faces, or they come as a result of mixing alcohol and fireworks — a toxic combination, as Bolger personally can attest.
The doctor and his family were at the holiday fireworks display in Bettendorf four years ago when a man who had been drinking lit a pyrotechnic device that he was holding in a sideways position. The rocket struck the area where the doctor and his child sat, burning both of them seriously enough to require treatment.
Let the professionals handle fireworks
The best way to avoid injuries is to leave the fireworks to professionals, agreed Andrea Bladel, the trauma coordinator for Genesis Medical Center-East Rusholme Street, Davenport.
“Even sparklers, which are one of the few devices legal to use in Iowa and Illinois, burn at 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and can be dangerous. Used improperly, they can cause burns and burn clothing,” she said.
“I don’t believe children should be allowed to play with sparklers,” Bolger said, noting that eye injuries involving the fireworks happen with some frequency.
“If kids must use sparklers, we urge close parental supervision and suggest kids to stay in one place and not run with sparklers,” Bladel said. “Regardless of the type of fireworks, kids need close supervision.”
Sparklers account for one-third of the total fireworks-related injures each year. More than half of those injuries are suffered by children younger than 5 years and involve sparklers.
Three safe years
It appears that many Quad-City residents heed the holiday warnings. Genesis Medical Center has had no hospital admissions related to fireworks in three years. Trinity Medical Center has seen no need to add additional staff during the holiday, Bolger said.
The lack of serious injuries may be due to the high quality of professional displays available around the Quad-City region, Bladel said. “We have fewer injuries locally than in many other places,” she said. “I think this is due, in part, because of the high quality of our local professional fireworks displays.”
Thousands upon thousands of area residents will attend a local show this weekend, and the safety record for those shows is outstanding, Bladel said.
The highest rate for fireworks-related injuries is in children 10-14 years old, according to the CDC. Some 31 percent of the injuries involve hands and fingers, while 25 percent are to the eyes and 20 percent to the head and face. Deaths totaled 11 in 2006, the most recent year for which specific injury statistics are available.
Deirdre Cox Baker can be contacted at (563) 383-2492 or dbaker@qctimes.com.
SAETY TIPS
Genesis and Trinity Medical centers offer these tips for keeping your keeping your Fourth of July safe:
Young children should not be allowed to play with fireworks under any circumstances.
Older children should be permitted to use fireworks only under close adult supervision.
Light fireworks outdoors in areas clear of homes, dry leaves, grass or flammable materials.
Do not smoke when lighting fireworks.
Have water available nearby for emergencies.
Have a telephone nearby in case of emergency.
Be sure people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
Do not point fireworks at other people, animals or buildings since they could catch on fire.
Never allow any portion of your body to be directly over the fireworks while lighting.
Do not experiment with homemade or illegal fireworks.
Do not relight “duds.” If it doesn’t work, wait for 15 minutes and soak the explosive in a bucket of water.
Don’t place fireworks in a container before lighting.
Always wear eye and ear protection.
Only light fireworks on smooth, flat surfaces.
Wear closed-toe shoes to avoid foot burns.
If someone does get injured, handle it in these ways:
Stop, drop and roll if your clothes catch fire.
Do not touch or rub your eyes because more damage could occur.
Do not flush the eye out with water. Cut out the bottom of a paper cup, place it around the eye and immediately go to a medical professional.
For a burn, do not use ice. Instead, remove any clothing from the burned area and then run cool water over the burn.
Any and all injuries from fireworks should be taken to a doctor or a hospital immediately.
Pets may be frightened, too
Fearful pets should be kept indoors when fireworks are lit, veterinarians suggest.
Race Foster and Marty Smith, two veterinarians who co-founded the Drs. Foster and Smith pet health and supply business out of Rhinelander, Wis., offer this specific Fourth of July holiday advice for animal owners:
Keep pets indoors during the fireworks displays.
Consider using background noise, such as a fan, air conditioner or television set, to obstruct the fear-producing noise.
Place pets in a room, if feasible, without outside windows and doors. Include a bowl of water and be sure the pet is comfortable in the room.
Create a quick safe haven for distressed pets. Some animals feel more comfortable in a crate, and a crate can be covered with a blanket to enhance the feeling of security. The door to the crate should be left open, though.
Some pets, including cats, will find refuge in a closet or under-bed area.
— Sources: DrsFosterSmith.com, PetEducation.com
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